Evolution and Emergence I

Dear Friends,

Excuse my intrusion into your email box. You will be receiving some personal notes from me in the next few weeks. It is 10:30 AM between services on Sunday morning, and I’m thinking about next year.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers as we make decisions regarding Sunday programming this Fall. I long for spaciousness and vision as we each work to hold with care the needs of each member, and to hold with passion the need of our community for our UU faith.

I envision two vibrant well attended worship services each Sunday, with staff resources prudently invested in each, with many members at each, thus making room in the Sanctuary and parking lot for ourselves AND our honored guests.

I envision several hours of Sabbath; precious moments without the multi-tasking rush that deprives us of the gift of the present moment.

Envision that with me for a moment - the joy of space to leisurely share intimacy and ultimacy among ourselves and with those not yet here, who WILL come as we build that rare space for rest and renewal.

I need your help in creating that space and that quality of experience at each service. How can we make that happen? Our staff and volunteers in music and religious education have human limits. Our members and children have needs making attending one service more attractive than the other.

I have faith and confidence that this Fall, we will serve up a fabulous and leisurely Sunday dinner, in our large Sanctuary, twice every Sunday (except summer!) Will you share that faith, and help me make that happen? Then….in five years…if our dream is not reality, we’ll try something different!

Rev. BJ

Evolution and Emergence, II

Hi Everyone,

I’m writing to ask you to set aside an hour for reading an amazing document – A Report the Council on Spiritual Life has submitted advising me about Sunday programming decisions for next Fall. It is a lovely document revealing the deep care and commitment of those who researched and wrote it, and describing our shared future as envisioned by folks who attended the planning Charette.

Envisioning the Future is now available on our website: There are two references to it from the home page under Spiritual Life and New Pages. In each case, the reference is “Envisioning Future.“

I printed a hard copy, am studying it with marker in hand, and invite all church members and friends to do the same. There is a wealth of joyful church life to last far into the future, just waiting for us to step into it. In a few days I will release the Sunday programming that I envision as our next step toward the future that is pulling us to herself.

I look forward to talking with you further. Your non-violent communication steering committee will facilitate a series of “Conversations with BJ” during which they will create a space for holding the needs of everyone, and for sharing our excitement about the Fall. Please plan to attend one of these sessions, all of which are at:

The Meeting House:

May 2, 7PM;
or May 3, 2 PM
or May 4, 6 PM.

Warm regards, Rev BJ

Emergence and Evolution III

By Rev. BJ

Hi everyone,

You may have seen the following message in USH-Enews for April 24th this week, but in case you did not, please excuse this final ‘appearance’ from me in your email box! I am committed to addressing your needs to be heard and understood, to be respected and included in all decisions that affect you.

After several long months of imagining our future and conferring with you, I have located what I think is a compass direction, though the specific destination is, of course, never perfectly clear. I include here one next step in that direction in a plan for Sunday programming, and some observations upon which the plan is based. I feel excited at sharing this information with you and look forward to brainstorming the strategies to create this ‘new look’ to Sundays in the Fall.

The Charette report summarized hundreds of remarks from congregants, finding these key hopes and visions of USH 2018:

*fullness and depth of human experience—addressing a broad range of member and community needs

*diversity in worship, music, member demographics

*spirituality-specific spiritual practices and disciplines

*social service and building use for community service

*facility - welcoming, comforting, and open atmosphere

*grounds—use outdoors in communal fashion

*church van or other transportation

My experience with you during the last two years leads me to suggest that our congregation (the sum of which includes and is more than the sum of individuals) has some core needs which we can begin to address more intentionally.

Some of them are:

1. Play and rest—(fun, laughter, a respite from surrounding cultural time hunger)

2. Spiritual communion—beauty, inspiration, peace, order, harmony

3. Celebration—ritual recognition of joys, mourning, passages

4. Integrity—authenticity/honesty, creativity, meaning, purpose

5. Interdependence—acceptance, closeness, consideration, to make contribution to the enrichment of life, support, love, trust, understanding, inclusion, mutuality

6. Autonomy—self determination, to choose dreams, goals, and plans for fulfilling same

I believe that the following schedule – to start in September, 2008 – will move us toward addressing those needs and creating those visions:

A Typical Sunday, for 2008 - 2010

8:00-9:20 - Meeting House available for meetings and other activities

9:30 - 1:00 - Time set apart for celebration of our shared life, and an invitation to guests to find their place among us

9:30-10:30 - Worship I*

10:30-11:15 - “Kids and Coffee” hour—family friendly food and fellowship

11:15-12:15 - Worship II*

12:15-1:00 - Coffee hour

1:00-3:00 - Meeting House available for meetings and other activities

*Sermon and service order will be similar at both services. Choir and musicians are coordinating their schedules to address the goal of vibrant and participative music at both services. I expect that each service will take on a distinctive personality.

Child care for infants and toddlers is provided at both services, with full RE at early service and “Perennial Wisdom” for children aged four through grade three later service. Youth have full discretion to meet whenever they like.

NOTES:

Great Decisions will continue its traditional scheduling, meeting during the 9:30 worship service in Springtime. Other adult religious education programming will be considered for scheduling at 9:30 on a case by case basis.

The Meditation Hall will be an attractive space reserved for prayer/meditation throughout the morning.

Our chapel will be available for periodic Saturday or Sunday evening chapel services that reflect our diverse religious heritage.

I look forward to being with you all at one of three congregational conversations with me on May 2-7PM, 3-2 PM, and 4-6 PM. At least one Board Member, a Committee on Ministry member, and Nonviolent Communication facilitators will join us at each meeting.

Let us know of any comments, errors and corrections - thanks (revised 05/01/08)